Episode I: Balance of the Force, Session 3

Sorry for going so long without updates, we played two more sessions and then had to miss a week because I was moving.

The Star Phoenix and the two Z-95 headhunters fly through hyperspace toward the shadowport-turned-secret-meetingplace known as the Frozen Flame, built into the body of a rogue comet hurtling across the galaxy. While en route, Anakin and Alana share a terse conversation when the Jedi Knight encourages the boy to expand his mind and feel the presence of the Force. Meanwhile, the Falleen diplomat Zythe exchanges brief words with Princess Mina, during which time she places a hidden transmitter in the Princess's quarters.

As the ships dive toward the comet, dodging spinning hunks of frozen rock and ice, they see several large worm-like creatures burrowing through the comet's debris field. Janos Creel identifies them as ice dragons, and helps the ships avoid the massive creatures for fear of disturbing them in a way that would be very bad for their much smaller ships. Eventually, after some showboating from Anakin, the ships descend into the main body of the comet and locate the Frozen Flame's primary docking bay. Inside, they find that there are several other ships present, but they are all unoccupied. As they are expecting the ships, a blast door at the far end of the bay opens, revealing a flustered Quarren who identifies himself as Rexakil, sent to escort the Princess to the secret meeting.

The group descends through the shadowport, leaving Kane Starkiller behind with R2-D2 and BL3K to watch over the ships. When the turbolift doors open into the conference room, the heroes find themselves looking at a scene of carnage: dozens of alien leaders seated around the table are now slumped over, covered in blaster burns. Worse, over a dozen clone troopers (whom Janos quickly identifies as members of the 13th Legion, his former comrades) stand spread across the far side of the room, with a human commander leading them. The commander reveals that not only was the 13th Legion sent to kill all the alien secessionists, but also to capture the Princess Mina, who isn't just playing the role of a seditious agent but is actually a member of the growing alien liberation movement. One look at the Princess reveals that what the commander says is true, but before further accusations can fly Anakin Skywalker notices that the blaster leveled at the in the hands of the commander is the blaster carried by Rook, the leader of his swoop gang back on Chathos. Realizing that the lieutenant and the 13th Legion are the same ones responsible for the deaths of all of his friends, Anakin leaps into action, flinging himself at the lieutenant, causing the clone troopers to open fire.

A brief firefight ensued. While Obi-Wan Kenobi and Alana Lars deflect many of the shots aimed at the group, Zythe takes a stun bolt to the chest from the lieutenant before Anakin leapson him and proceeds to, in a fit of rage, beat the man to death. Kane, who has been listening the whole time via comlink, comes to assist the group in getting Princess Mina, Zythe and Anakin out of the room. Both sides engage in a fighting retreat, but before they leave Janos Creel manages to blast the Republic droid that was extracting (or possibly planting) evidence of the Princess's treachery in the databanks of the computer in the conference room, and then grabs the droid's memory core to take with them.